|
Cape Town Prehistory
(Page 2) |
| Plant & Animal Evolution at the Cape |
Fossil
pollen evidence has shown that from one billion to 5.3 million years ago the
region around modern Cape Town was predominantly lush, subtropical rainforest.
The superb West Coast Fossil Park near Langebaan has revealed fossils of great
and fascinating creatures that lived in wetlands and forests five million years
ago - double tusked elephants, saber-toothed cats, various species of hyena,
the African bear, ancestral birds and white rhino.
However, the climate became more typical of the Mediterranean and the landscape
more arid with the cold Benguella current flowing from the Antarctic. Plants
and trees came under pressure from lack of water and an increasing frequency of
fires. Many species of flora and fauna began to decline. The short-necked
giraffe became extinct around 1.5 - 2 million years ago; the sabre-toothed
tiger 1.8 million years ago.
Some plants, with origins in the mountains of central Africa, were suited to a
drier climate and began to dominate and diversify. Over the last five million
years they have evolved and multiplied into more and more species that are now
recognised as the unique Cape Floral Kingdom.
This complex kingdom of at least eight and a half thousand
species includes numerous bulbs, heathers, grasses and proteas. Locally these
plants are known as 'fynbos' because they have hardy wooden stems and fine
leaves. In general they grow low to the ground and are extremely well adapted
to high winds, long droughts, fire and wet, cool winters.
Although fynbos provides little grazing for animals, herds of elephant,
antelope and buffalo continued to migrate to the area. These included the now
extinct Blue Antelope, the Longhorn Buffalo and various zebra species. Fossils
of these species have been found at sites such as Elandsfontein and
Duinfontein. Lions and leopards preyed on antelope until modern
times.
|
Go to the next page
>>>>>>
|
|
© www.capetown.at 2008. You may print this
article for personal use; if for reproduction please acknowledge
'www.www.capetown.at.co.za'. You may not use this material for any electronic
media except with written permission. www.capetown.at accepts no responsibility
for inaccuracies or the work of service providers.
|
|
|
|
|
Heritage Sections
· Culture ·
· Environment
·
History
· Society
Personalities ·
Areas
In this period of Cape History:
Overview
Table
Mountain
Plant and
Animal Evolution
Human Evolution
Bibliography
& Contacts
|
